local prairie resources:
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Stacy Park PrairieThe three acre reconstructed prairie offers a diverse community of native grasses and wildflowers. These plants provide an important food source for native birds and butterflies.
Ensuring that the prairie remains vibrant, with diverse native plants and healthy soil, requires periodic management. This includes monitoring and removing invasive species and using prescribed or "controlled" burns. MISSOURI PRAIRIES Prior to European settlement, over 15 million acres of prairie grew in Missouri- that's more than one third of the state! less than 1% remain today. {Missouri Prairie Foundation} Prairies are home to a stunning diversity of plant, animal, and insect life. At least 800 native plant species alone occur on Missouri's prairies. {Doug Ladd, The Nature Conservancy} Prairie plant roots, some growing as deep as 15 feet, store carbon and build rich soil. one acre of established prairie can produce 24,000 pounds of roots {Iowa State University} and can store at least 1 ton of carbon annually {University of Minnesota} Prairies provide habitat for hundreds of native pollinators, many of which are essential for food crop pollination. Prairie plants absorb large volumes of rainfall. this naturally filters water, reduces run-off from home gardens and parks, protects streams from flood events, and helps recharge groundwater. FIRE & PRESCRIBED BURNS
Historically, prairies regularly experienced fire from both human and natural causes (ie lightning). Through regular burning, the native plants became fire tolerant and fire became part of the growing cycle. Today, prescribed, controlled burns are used to help control invasive, non-native species; return nutrients to the soil; and improve native seed germination. this helps the native plants thrive. In Olivette, prescribed burns are permitted through the County of St Louis and follow the requirements of the Missouri Department of Conservation. The burn is conducted by a certified burn specialist with City staff and coordinated with the Olivette Fire Department. Weather, atmospheric and soil conditions are key elements of a burn. When conditions on the selected day do not fall within the Department of Conservation range, the burn will be cancelled. The Stacy Park prairie had a prescribed burn of both sections in March 2016 and March 2018. |
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